Braves adding long-time catcher as special assistant in curious move

For the most part, the Atlanta Braves have gotten everything they need to get done this offseason. While it would be a nice luxury to add another quality starting pitcher, the Braves have enough arms to start the season and the areas of the roster they absolutely had to address are now handled after the Ha-Seong Kim signing. However, the Braves are clearly not being complacent even now.

With the big league roster mostly set other than the fringes, Atlanta's attention is apparently turning back to the coaching and front office staff side. The field coaching staff seems pretty locked in, but the Braves are still looking for even more help with the addition of Martin Maldonado as a special assistant.

Braves add Martin Maldonado as an as-yet undefined special assitant for major league operations

Maldonado has long been seen as a future coach or manager and thankfully, Atlanta isn't bringing him in as a player as he tends to get more playing time than he should when he is on the roster. The recently retired Maldonado is extremely good when it comes to managing pitching staffs and the strategic side of catching which can only be a good thing for the development of Drake Baldwin.

What we don't know right now is exactly what role Maldonado will play. It is a given that the Braves are going to pick his brain when it comes to catching and game planning, but that he has long been considered a future clubhouse leader and coach makes one wonder if he could slowly be integrated more and more into the day-to-day operations as the 2026 season goes on.

At the end of the day, Maldonado is just another resource for the Braves to have not unlike having Chipper Jones around to help hitters out. As long as Maldonado doesn't try to put his pads back on and get behind the plate, this is definitely a positive move for Atlanta to make.